


When We Were Kids

by bluefading



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Reminiscing, Slice of Life, sourin as elders, sourin as kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 13:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6756472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluefading/pseuds/bluefading
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Remember when we were kids?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	When We Were Kids

**Author's Note:**

> Drabble submitted for sourinweek 02/16

“Remember when we were kids?”

The room had been silent for nearly an hour that the question startled a tiny part of Rin’s heart back into an alert pulse.

A soft scoff escaped his lips. “You’re gonna have to be more specific than that,” he said, a strand of his hair falling over his eye as he adjusted himself on the pillow to face Sousuke. Like always, he was sitting on the chair beside him.

Sousuke leaned over the bed to take Rin’s hand in his. He stroked the familiar crevices of it, the ones that dipped into the knuckles and created partings for his fingers. They were worn and spotted, and thinner than they were as young adults - more rigid and bony, but even as they changed, Sousuke knew he’d forever know the feel of Rin’s hands intertwined with his.

“When we used to go out into the docks,” Sousuke explained, “and help your father load his boat with all the fishing tackle.” He watched as a knowing gleam in Rin’s eyes surfaced. It meant that he was recalling memories.

The smell of fish always got stuck to their rain jackets, and the net was always too heavy for only one of them to carry. At the beginning, both had been too stubborn to let one help the other out, which led to them stumbling over the meshes of nylon, causing grazed knees and sore backs. Rin’s father would just watch the whole thing transpire. Then, one day, Mr. Matsuoka took his son’s arms. He placed them under the tangled ball of fishing net Sousuke was trying hard to maintain balanced on his own.

 _You two are better off together_ , the fisherman said.

“Sometimes,” Sousuke began again, “when he deemed us extra good, your father would allow us to go out to sea with him. You asked, one time, why we threw the small fish back into the ocean. _Such a waste_ , you said.” Sousuke glanced at Rin to check to see if he was still listening and hadn’t dozed off again. He was met with an easy smile.

Rin tipped his head ever so slightly, signaling Sousuke to go on.

“Your father answered that it was because the small ones were still growing, exploring, learning what they could from the ocean. And the big ones, the adults, had had their time.” Sousuke chuckled. “Then, your face did that thing when your eyebrows would scrunch up and your lips would start to quiver …” He closed his eyes as he recalled that moment from so long ago, yet somehow still so fresh in his mind. He could almost feel the mists of the ocean on his skin.

“Where are you getting at, Sou?” The other’s voice was close to a whisper.

“You cried, remember?”

If it had been a year ago, Rin would have lifted his arm to punch Sousuke on his shoulder. All he could offer now was an incredulous look.

“And sobbed for the rest of the day, repeating over and over again how _unfair_ it was. The adults could still explore the ocean too - _look how big the blue water is!_ You -” Sousuke’s voice hitched, a stinging in his eyes daring him to continue.

“Sousuke?”

Sousuke shook his head, not taking the dare. Instead, he stroked back the silver bangs of Rin’s hair.

Rin smiled again, which made the wrinkles around his eyes more prominent. It was a feature of his that Sousuke came to know and love. He loved every part of him. His crimson eyes, his ridiculous teeth, the crack in his voice when he cried, the way he could emerge himself in something he was passionate about without doubt. Without reason to give up.

“It’s not fair,” Sousuke finally croaked. “ _Not fair_.”

He buried his head in between Rin’s arm and side, repeating the two words he knew were futile pleads.

A hand placed itself on Sousuke’s hair.

“Remember when we were kids?”

Sousuke fell silent, waiting for Rin to continue.

“When we’d run around and pretend the whole world was ours to take? And remember when we were teenagers and pretended that we couldn’t feel any sort of attraction to each other? And remember when we entered different colleges, how we were hundreds of miles apart, but still together? Remember when once we figured ourselves out, we made a promise?”

Rin’s fingers found Sousuke’s chin, and lifted it so that their gazes met. This time, it was him who took Sousuke’s hand. Their golden bands touched as their hands found home in each other’s. Their promise.

“I’ve had a lot of good memories, Sou.” For the millionth time, Rin tried to memorize every shade of color in Sousuke’s eyes. Hues of greens and blues swam in frenzy.

“I’ve already explored the blue water.

With you.”


End file.
